Summer Funding Opportunities Office (SFO) Funding for Internships or Research Outside the U.S.

The Summer Funding Opportunities Office (SFO) offers funding to support students participating in internships with organizations based outside the United States. SFO supports two types of internships, self-arranged and pre-arranged by a placement company. For independently arranged internships, students secure their own internships. When students secure an internship through a placement company, students pay a program fee to the company. Please reach out to SFO if you are unsure if your internship is eligible for funding.

Dates & Deadlines

Deadline to apply for funding

February 5, 2026

11:59 PM EDT

Funding decisions released

March 20, 2026

12:00 PM EDT

Students must accept or decline funding offer

March 24, 2026

11:59 PM EDT

Deadline to submit pre-departure requirements to receive funding

April 29, 2026

11:59 PM EDT

Student Eligibility

You’re eligible to apply if you:

Opportunity Eligibility

Your opportunity is eligible if:

  • It is not in a high-risk country or region
  • It is at one organization only
  • It is in one location only (not multi-city or multi-country)
  • It is 6 weeks or longer
  • It is full-time (minimum 30 hours per week)
  • It is in-person, hybrid, or remote
  • It is unpaid or paid less than the corresponding country-level stipend
  • You can submit a host organization letter signed by your supervisor by the application deadline

Application Instructions

  1. Apply directly to the organization with which you want to intern or conduct research
  2. Enroll in direct deposit.
  3. Apply in CARAT to "SFO Funding for Internships or Research Outside the U.S. SU26 (IND) - Round B Funding" by 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday, February 5, 2026 with the following materials:
    1. Host organization support letter template listing required details of internship.
    2. Completed Internship and Research Assistantship Form, PDF format
    3. One-page resume, PDF format (we recommend using MCS' templates)
    4. Unofficial Transcript, PDF format (available under Grades tab, “View Unofficial Transcript” in my.harvard)
    5. Proof of Direct Deposit enrollment, PDF format. Submit a pdf screenshot from the “Student Accounts” section from my.harvard that shows you are enrolled in direct deposit.

Award Amounts and Out-of-Pocket Expenses

Award Amounts

Out-of-Pocket Expenses

Funding awards may not cover all expenses. Students who receive an SFO award should be prepared to cover any additional expenses the award does not cover, for example:

  • Visas
  • Personal expenses
  • Immunizations  
  • Cell phone coverage
  • Airport transport  

How are Funding Decisions Made?

  • Funding is not guaranteed; due to high demand, last year, SFO was only able to fund about 34% of applications  
  • Funding decisions are not based on financial need; not all students on financial aid are funded
  • Funding for students pursuing internships in their home countries is limited
  • Funding for fully remote internships is limited 

Questions?

Contact the Summer Funding Opportunities Office (SFO) team at summerfunding@fas.harvard.edu.